Fîdan Rêzan/ JINHA

EFRÎN – Efrîn Canton co-chair Hêvî Mistefa, reflecting on two years of the canton’s self-government project, said that the Rojava revolution provides a historic example of women’s participation in revolution with gender consciousness.

Efrîn, one of the three cantons of Rojava, celebrates its second year of self-government today. Canton co-chair Hêvî Mistefa reflected on women’s projects and plans in the canton on the occasion.

“Women have taken an active part in self-government,” said Hêvî. “The co-chair system created in all communes, assemblies and municipal projects, as well as the formation of a Women’s Council in the self-government [system], is key from the perspective of male-female equality.”

Hêvî described the Women’s Council as a body designed “so that women make decisions themselves.” The council serves to communicate women’s problems coming from the local level to the assembly. Hêvî called this the most appropriate way to make such decisions. She also described the positive effects of the co-chair system, in which one woman and one man share all leadership positions.

“Women work seriously and with discipline; they don’t let [things] get derailed. They act with conscience, justice and a democratic approach and men are obliged to take this approach as well.”

The fundamental level of the system of self-government in Rojava is the commune, Hêvî explained.

“For women to take their places in the commune is for society to be organized,” said Hêvî. “Women don’t just form communes; they also form defense communities in the communes. The women’s movement doubtless has a key role in the military arena, but women have simultaneously expanded their space in politics, diplomacy and social projects.”

Recalling that women are more than 50% of the participants in the project of self-government, Hêvî called this evidence that the people of Rojava are standing up for the revolution of women.

“I can say that 2015 was a year of resistance and liberation. At the same time, it was a year when the women of Rojava participated increasingly in all institutions, communes, assemblies and in social, economic, political and educational projects,” said Hêvî. “There’s really no other example at this level in the world. There was a revolution here; for women, there were really two revolutions in one. That is, women struggled both for the defense and liberation of the region, and also to change the reigning sovereign mindset.”

Hêvî explained that this was what set the Rojava revolution apart from other revolutions in which women have taken part.

“In past revolutions and uprisings, the reason for defeat was that women did not participate like they do today. If they did participate, it was with a masculine mindset. But in the Rojava revolution, women participate with their own ideas, their own force,” said Hêvî. She attributed the attacks against women in Rojava, and now against women in Northern Kurdistan, to enemies’ awareness that women are leading a revolution on their own terms.

She called Rojava’s historic Women’s Law one of the most important victories of the revolution and a step to avert the effect of the ruling mindset from taking hold in Rojava.

The year was also one of women’s economic projects.

“Society thinks of economic work as men’s work, but in spite of this we moved forward with economic projects for women,” said Hêvî. “We know that if women don’t liberate themselves economically, we can’t talk about them liberating themselves in general. And we also know that women will be more engaged with the economic field.” According to the canton’s research, Efrîn has 600 women workers, an advancement in the area.

Hêvî finished by summarizing the projects of the last year and touching on plans for 2016.

In August, Efrîn women formed the first Autonomous Women’s Battalion, in which women receive military and theoretical training. After the canton’s first conference on the economy in October, participates decided to form communes and cooperatives. Existing examples include a 70-woman cooperative in Efrîn city that runs a dried foods bazaar; the opening of a women-run cooperative sweetshop in Raco; and an economic cooperative in the Robar refugee camp.

The Women’s Council’s upcoming plans including a cooperative for homeless and orphan children; a Women’s Defense House in Efrîn; a new kindergarten for Efrîn children; and cooperatives for yogurt and milk, honey and sewing. The Council will also prepare informational brochures about the disabled and elderly; a literacy center for Robar refugee camp families; seminars for women across the canton; and street surveys on women’s issues.

(hm/du/fk/cm)